Planned Parenthood Mobilizes Its Supporters in Opposition to Wendy Vitter in New Ad Campaign

Planned Parenthood: “Wendy Vitter is dangerous, untrustworthy, and unfit to be given a lifetime appointment as a federal judge.” 

WASHINGTON D.C. -- Ahead of Wendy Vitter’s hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday for her nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Planned Parenthood Action Fund is mobilizing its supporters to call on their senators to oppose Wendy Vitter’s lifetime appointment to the federal bench. In a five-figure digital advertising campaign, Planned Parenthood outlines Wendy Vitter’s dangerous anti-abortion advocacy and why she is unfit for a lifetime appointment as a federal judge. The push also includes a petition calling on the U.S. Senate to reject Wendy Vitter’s nomination, which has already generated over 20,000 signatures.

Vitter has a long record of extreme hostility toward reproductive health and rights. Throughout her career, Vitter has advocated for restrictions that prevent women from making their own health care decisions. She has spoken at anti-abortion rallies, led anti-abortion panels, and represented organizations trying to undermine women’s access to basic health care services. 

Quote from Dana Singiser, Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs for Planned Parenthood:

Wendy Vitter is dangerous, untrustworthy, and unfit for a lifetime appointment as a federal judge. Vitter’s record of opposing women’s health and rights is far outside the mainstream. The bottom line is that Vitter can’t be trusted to be unbiased or fair-minded. By promoting fake science and misinformation as fact, Wendy Vitter has proven that she doesn’t have the judgment needed for a lifetime seat on the federal bench. Planned Parenthood and our supporters call on the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject her nomination.

The five-figure digital ad campaign is running on Facebook and Twitter nationally in addition to oversampling Planned Parenthood supporters in Alaska, Maine, and Nevada.

In the questionnaire Vitter submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee, she omitted about 95 pages that listed over 180 activities – including anti-abortion panels, speeches, and rallies – in an apparent effort to disguise her extreme views and political biases. In the past, some judicial nominees who’ve omitted information have had their nominations blocked by senators. One of the activities Vitter omitted was how she moderated an anti-abortion panelwhere she promoted the baseless claim that women who take contraceptive pills are more likely to die violent deaths. Vitter also encouraged panelists to discuss scientifically baseless theories and push anti-abortion propaganda.

Vitter also failed to disclose her speaking engagement at a 2013 rally at the construction site of a new Louisiana Planned Parenthood health center to protest the new health center and access to safe, legal abortion. Vitter’s “accolades” include the “Proudly Pro-Life Award” from Louisiana Right to Life. 

Vitter’s nomination is part of the Trump-Pence administration’s broader campaign to turn back the clock on women’s health and rights. Since taking office, the Trump-Pence administration has:

• Allowed employers to deny birth control coverage to their employees
• Cut funding for the evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention program
• Rolled back protections for sexual assault survivors on campus
• Shifted federal family planning funds away from comprehensive reproductive health care providers and towards abstinence-only-until-marriage health care providers
• Worked to block women from receiving life-saving, preventative care at Planned Parenthood health centers

There are currently 152 judicial vacancies, with 55 nominations pending. The Senate has confirmed 14 circuit court nominees under the Trump-Pence administration, which is more than any president in modern history at this point in their term.  Many of these vacancies are a result of the Senate’s failure to confirm many of former President Obama’s nominations after the Senate came under Republican control in 2015. Most of these nominees are extremely conservative, and many hold views that are overwhelmingly hostile to reproductive health and rights.

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Planned Parenthood Action Fund is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit membership organization formed as the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. The Action Fund engages in educational and electoral activity, including voter education, grassroots organizing, and legislative advocacy.